


An Eye for Detail

by roebling



Category: B.A.P, K-pop, Secret (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-04-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 08:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roebling/pseuds/roebling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunhwa likes a man with nice hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Eye for Detail

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of Youngjae's [extremely tight white suit](www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOEpO-tOxCc) ... or something. 
> 
> Also, seriously though, I am very sorry for the gender essentialist language in this story. It bothered me a little even as a wrote it but I'm not sure this is the best venue to explore such issues. Written very hastily and not beta read so I apologize for any remaining errors.

"Yoo Youngjae, stop that!"

Youngjae drops his hands to his lap, guiltily. "Sorry, noona."

Sunhwa makes a stern face at him. "Biting your nails is disgusting."

"It's a nervous habit," Youngjae says. "I can't help it."

"What do you have to be nervous about? Why don't you take a nap or something? Teenagers need to get a lot of sleep."

Youngjae rolls his eyes. Sunhwa is just barely beyond a teenager herself. "Are matronly instincts part of the package deal when you get married?" he asks.

Sunhwa throws a paper cup at him (empty, thankfully - he doesn't think these white pants would be suitable for broadcast if they got wet. He's not sure they are as it is.) "Are you saying I'm not full of warm and motherly energy?" Her eyes are narrow and her lips are pursed, but he can tell she's trying not to laugh.

"You're a really good wife to Kwanghee hyung," he says, backpedaling quickly. “You cooked really well for him.”

"I am a good cook," she says mollified. "He's surprised too."

She turns back to her phone. Youngjae picks up his iPad. He scrolls through an album of pictures he took with Junhong and Jongup when they were overseas. That entire trip - just like so much of the last year - seems unreal. He remembers when he auditioned for TS, remembers watching the Secret sunbaenim on television, remembers the first time they introduced themselves - how beautiful they'd been, and how well they'd held themselves. Now he's sitting backstage with Sunhwa waiting to perform ... well, if it's not a love song, it's certainly a like song at least.

Is it really surprising that he'd be nervous?

"Stop that, I said!"

Youngjae's got his thumb in his mouth, worrying his nail again. He hadn't even realized. He drops it to his lap. "Sorry."

Sunhwa shakes her head at him. "Go wash your hands and come here."

Youngjae takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves. He guesses the suit looks okay (even though he suspects Daehyun and Himchan are going to make fun of him for it), but he's terrified of getting it dirty. The stylist noonas are really nice, but one rip or stain and they'll probably having him wearing a belly shirt next come back in vengeance. He's had more than enough of that.

He dries his hands and sits down on the chair opposite Sunhwa. She roots around in her big purse.

"I could do a much better job if I'd brought everything with me," she says, half to herself. "But this will have to do."

She pulls out a purple nail file and bottle of baby pink nail polish.

Youngjae sticks his hands under his thighs. "What? No! Noona, you're not painting my nails!"

"I am," Sunhwa says. "I used to bite my nails when I was little, and this is what my mom did to get me to stop."

"It's gonna look dumb," Youngjae says. "And the guys are going to make fun of me."

Sunhwa laughs. "Don't be stupid. You're not even going to be able to tell in the broadcast."

"It's weird, though," Youngjae says.

Sunhwa gives him the same hard-eyed stare he's seen her give Kwanghee hyung on television. "Youngjae, give noona your hand."

He hesitates.

"Now."

Reluctantly, he lays his hands on the table. Satisfied, Sunhwa nods. She takes his right hand in hers, businesslike, and clucks in dismay at what she sees. He knows it's gross to have his fingernails bitten down to the quick. He knows - but he can't help it. It's just like he said. It's a nervous habit, and there's been plenty for him to be nervous about, this past year.

She goes to work with the nail file. Her hands are soft and a little bit cold. Her fingers are long and slender, and her own nails are done a shimmery pink color, to match the concept.

"It's a shame," she says. Her head is bent, and her long red hair falls on the tabletop in fat coils. "You have nice hands, but they're all chewed up."

"Sorry," Youngjae says. He feels his cheeks getting warm.

Sunhwa sighs. "Men think that things like this don't matter, but women notice even the littlest details."

Youngjae snorts. "Noona, I don't think I know any women who would care about my fingernails."

She looks up at him. "You think the girls you see backstage on shows don't pay attention? Why wouldn't they? Your group is doing well. You have a nice voice, you’re tall, and you’re very polite -- usually.”

Sometimes - not all the time, of course, but sometimes - he talks about this stuff with the guys when they’re waiting backstage. Partially it's so that they have an innocuous answer ready when they're inevitably asked about their 'ideal type', but partially - well, the women they see backstage at the music shows are practically the only women they see. They're all young guys. It’s hard not to look.

But - "Do girls do that too?"

Sunhwa's expression goes even flatter and harder. She shakes her head again. "Of course," she says in a tone that suggests he shouldn't even have asked.

"Wow." He's never thought that the young women they see backstage at music shows are watching them - appraising them just like they're being appraised. It's a little unsettling. Like Sunhwa said - he's in a kind of popular group, and he's tall, and he can sing, but there are dozens of people ahead of him in every single one of those categories.

She's watching him with a satisfied expression. "I told you. Details matter." She unscrews the lid to the bottle of pink polish, and takes his thumb between two of her fingers. Youngjae doesn't think he's ever had his nails painted before. The company doesn't insist on them getting manicures or things like that. It's weird - it doesn't feel like anything but it's ticklish at the same time. His hands look big and coarse in hers.

"But nobody's probably paying attention to me," he says in an undertone. Even in his own group, there are others that shine brighter than he does. He's fine with that. It's almost a relief.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Sunhwa says.

“What's that supposed to mean?"

She frowns. "Stop moving around so much."

He puffs his cheeks in annoyance. Sunhwa reminds him just a little bit of Himchan. They're both really good at making it seem like they know more than they do. Right now he doesn't know what she's even trying to imply, or if she's implying anything at all. He thinks … but no, there's not one single member of a girl group he can remember looking at him even once, let alone twice. Girls don’t really pay him much attention at all.

She moves on to the other hand, going quickly and precisely over each nail with the brush. He remembers seeing her doing this before ...

"You did this with Kwanghee oppa. On the show."

She nods. "Yup."

They all watch it, Sunhwa's segments at least. They’re trying to be closer to the Secret noonas these days, and besides their company is small enough and Sunhwa has done well enough that they all feel very proud.

"Kwanghee oppa doesn't keep his hands nice either," Sunhwa says, absently. "I told him I liked men with neat hands, and he still didn't do it. I know it's fake, but he might try."

"Kwanghee hyung seems like he'd do whatever he thinks would be funniest."

Sunhwa nods. "He's a very good partner on a variety show," she says, "even if I don't think he would be a very good boyfriend in real life."

Youngjae knows - they all know - that it's just fake, but it's still weird to hear her talk about it. "You wouldn't want to date him?"

"No. He’s not really my type," she says, quickly. " Besides, I like someone else."

"Oh." He's definitely not close enough to her to ask who.

She finishes with the pinky finger on his left hand. "There," she says, satisfied. "Now don't touch anything."

His fingernails are actually very pink. "Noona, this looks silly. Everyone is going to see."

She lifts an eyebrow. "Are you saying you don't like the manicure I gave you,Youngjae?"

"I like it," Youngjae says. "I like it, but …"

"Good," Sunhwa says. "You better be careful that you don't bite your nails and ruin it. If you do, next time I’ll paint them purple."

Next time? "I won't, noona."

She takes his hand, looks down. "Good," she says. She looks up and smiles at him, eyes mirthful. "I'm going to be watching.” She waits, like she’s waiting for him to say something, but he doesn’t know what. Is he supposed to apologize again for biting his nails? Is he supposed to say thank you again? Sometimes he wishes that Himchan or Yongguk or someone were good at understanding girls so that he could ask them for advice, but honestly they’re all kind of terrible. Maybe he should ask Manager hyung.

Sunhwa sighs, exasperated. “I'm watching, I mean, you idiot. I’ve been watching you." Even annoyed, her smile is generous and happy.

Youngjae's jaw doesn't drop open in shock, but it's a close thing. "Noona …"

The door opens. "You're on in five," says some tired PA with a headset and a clip board.

Sunhwa smiles at him even brighter. He can't help but smile back. She laces her fingers - paler skinned and elegant, but a good match - in his.

"Come on," she says. "Let's go."


End file.
